Part 16 (2/2)
”My what?” insisted Merieuess what the Hon Morison was driving at
”Why-ah-your brother?” he stumbled
”No, Korak was not my brother,” she replied
”Was he your husband, then?” he finally blurted
Far froh
”My husband!” she cried ”Why how old do you think I aht of such a thing Korak hy-,” and now she hesitated, too, for she never before had attempted to analyse the relationshi+p that existed between herself and Korak-”why, Korak was just Korak,” and again she broke into a gay laugh as she realized the illu at her and listening to her the man beside her could not believe that depravity of any sort or degree entered into the girl's nature, yet he wanted to believe that she had not been virtuous, for otherwise his task was less a sinecure-the Hon Morison was not entirely without conscience
For several days the Hon Morison ress toward the consummation of his scheme Sometiain wondering how slighta bona-fide offer of e to Meriem if he permitted himself to fall more deeply in love with her, and it was difficult to see her daily and not love her There was a quality about her which, all unknown to the Hon Morison, washis task an extreoodness and cleanness which is a good girl's stoutest bulwark and protection-an ieneracy has the effrontery to assail The Hon Morison Baynes would never be considered a degenerate
He was sitting with Merie after the others had retired Earlier they had been playing tennis-a gae, as, in truth, he did inMeriem stories of London and Paris, of balls and banquets, of the wonderful woowns, of the pleasures and pastimes of the rich and powerful The Hon Morison was a past otisrant or tiresome-he was never crude in it, for crudeness was a plebeianism that the Hon Morison studiously avoided, yet the impression derived by a listener to the Hon Morison was one that was not at all calculated to detract frolory of the house of Baynes, or from that of its representative
Meriem was entranced His tales were like fairy stories to this little jungle nificent in her mind's eye He fascinated her, and when he drew closer to her after a short silence and took her hand she thrilled as one ht thrill beneath the touch of a deity-a thrill of exaltation not unmixed with fear
He bent his lips close to her ear
”Meriem!” he whispered ”My little Merieht to call you 'irl turned wide eyes upward to his face; but it was in shadow She trembled but she did not draay The man put an arm about her and drew her closer
”I love you!” he whispered
She did not reply She did not knohat to say She knew nothing of love She had never given it a thought; but she did know that it was very nice to be loved, whatever it meant It was nice to have people kind to one She had known so little of kindness or affection
”Tell me,” he said, ”that you return my love”
His lips came steadily closer to hers They had al like a miracle before her eyes She saw Korak's face close to hers, she felt his lips hot against hers, and then for the first tiently
”I am not sure,” she said, ”that I love you Let us wait There is plenty of ti to marry yet, and I am not sure that I should be happy in London or Paris-they rather frighten me”
How easily and naturally she had connected his avowal of love with the idea of e! The Hon Morison was perfectly sure that he had not e-he had been particularly careful not to do so And then she was not sure that she loved him! That, too, came rather in the nature of a shock to his vanity It seemed incredible that this little barbarian should have any doubts whatever as to the desirability of the Hon Morison Baynes
The first flush of passion cooled, the Hon Morison was enabled to reasonIt would be better noait and prepare her radually for the only proposition which his exalted estate would perlanced down at the girl's profile It was bathed in the silvery light of the great tropic moon The Hon Morison Baynes wondered if it were to be so easy a
Meriem rose The vision of Korak was still before her
”Good night,” she said ”It is almost too beautiful to leave,” she waved her hand in a coreat moon, the broad, silvered plain, and the dense shadows in the distance, that le ”Oh, how I love it!”
”You would love London more,” he said earnestly ”And London would love you You would be a famous beauty in any capital of Europe You would have the world at your feet, Meriem”